IT BLOWS ME AWAY! - Part 3

God's Grace is amazing; GOD'S RICHES AT CHRIST'S EXPENSE! The last two blogs dealt with God's Prevenient Grace and God's Saving Grace. If you have not read those two posts, I would encourage you to stop right here and read them. This is a five-part series, and each post is built on the previous ones.

Let's now explore God's Sanctifying Grace. His Sanctifying Grace is to be experienced by the person (s) who has come into a personal relationship with Jesus through His Saving Grace. It is given to cleanse and release us from the power of the sin nature and to empower the believer for Christian life and service. It is the purifying work of the Holy Spirit that enables the followers of Jesus to continually grow in grace and in the practise of a holy, pure and fully devoted life in this present world.

"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions (lusts), and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from ALL lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession who are zealous for good works." (Titus 2:11-14)

"I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me." (Galatians 2:20)

Based on the above Scriptures, Sanctifying Grace or Sanctification is: First, God's Grace that sets us apart (in two ways). . . . apart FROM SIN and apart TO GOD. Second, it is God's grace that conquers the principle and power of sin in our lives. Third, it is God's grace that helps us control our human nature and enables the Fruit Of The Spirit to be produced by God's Spirit in our lives (Galatians 5:22-23), and that cleanses our sin nature, uprooting the devil's stronghold in us. Fourth, it is God's grace that imparts God's character, holiness and purity in our lives. Fifth, it is God's grace that empowers us for divine, holy purposes.

". . .as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct (life-style), since it is written , 'you shall be holy, for I am holy.' " (I Peter 1:15-16) "Be holy, for I am holy." (Leviticus 20:7) "You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy." (Leviticus 19:2) "You shall be holy to me, for I the Lord am holy and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be mine." (Leviticus 20:26) ". . .for I, the LORD, who sanctifies you, am holy." (Leviticus 21:8) "For God has not called us for impurity, but for holiness. Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives His Holy Spirit to you."

(I Thessalonians 4:7-8) "For this is the will of God, your sanctification. . . ." (I Thessalonians 4:3)

These truths from Scripture make it abundantly clear that God's command, design, purpose and empowerment is for you and me to be holy, pure and exhibiting the holy character and nature of God in this present life!

The Greek (original language of the New Testament) word for "HOLY" is "HAGIOS". The Hebrew (the original language of the Old Testament) word for "HOLY" is "KADOSH". Both words mean "set apart." But there is a deeper meaning to both words. This meaning is "to cut away." It is a "circumcision of the heart"; the cutting away of the foreskin of our heart that is unclean, sinful and opposed to God. "And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live." (Deuteronomy 30:6) "Circumcise yourselves to the LORD; remove the foreskin of your hearts. . . ." (Jeremiah 4:4) "You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit." (Acts 7:51) "You were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands. . .by the circumcision of Christ." (Colossians 2:11) "And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from you and give you a heart of flesh". (Ezekiel 36:26) "For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit" (Romans 2:28-29) The Apostle Paul says here that since the heart of man is sinful, then physical circumcision is of no spiritual value, but that a spiritual circumcision of the heart is absolutely necessary! "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick, who can undestand it?" (Jeremiah 17:9) Spiritual circumcision is a radical change, an inner transformation, whereby by faith we receive heart cleansing, purity, holiness and divine love; a deep love that only comes from God. It involves a life committed to spiritual growth and development of faith and trust in God. "But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." (II Peter 3:18)

Time for a spiritual checkup? Have we received this heart cleansing, inner transformation by which we experience holiness, purity and divine love? Are we growing in grace, faith and love? We can, by asking God to do His sanctifying work in us by His Holy Spirit!

The Sanctifying Grace of God includes the entire scope of salvation, from repentance to glorification. Jesus Christ appeared to bring His grace and salvation "for all men." No one is excluded from God's grace; it is available to everyone! (Titus 2:11)

Let's consider the CHARACTER of SANCTIFYING GRACE in light of Titus 2:12-14. First, it is a Teaching Grace. It instructs us. It trains us in the will and ways of God. It disciplines us; discipline is actively involved in the sanctified life. Second, it is a Denying Grace. (Titus 2:12) Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we are able to deny, reject, renounce, and give up the ways, unquenchable cravings, desires and lusts that are contrary to God and His Word! It brings the power to forsake ungodly behavior, ambitions and attitudes. We can thus, refuse; we can say NO to temptations, to participation in and the practise of an unrighteous life-style. Third, it is a Crucifying Grace. (Galatians 2:20) Here is the mingling of the negative and positive aspects of Sanctifying Grace. "I am crucified with Christ." My self-centered nature has been put to death (death to sin and ungodliness) on the cross in total identification with His sacrificial death. "Yet, I live." Alive in Christ because of His resurrection from the dead. He lives within me. "And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life." (John 5:11-12) I am living here and now, but my life is actually the faith I have in the Son of God (Jesus Christ), who loved me and gave Himself UP for me. It is a life of FAITH IN JESUS! Fourth, it is a Living Grace. (Titus 2:12) The Apostle Paul here talks about the positivity of God's Sanctifying Grace. We're to live soberly, seriously, discreetly, responsibly, uprightly with personal integrity, honesty and Christ-likeness. These characteristics that must describe our life in Jesus are to be manifest "in this present world." Make no mistake, we can and must live for Jesus, loving, worshiping and honoring Him right here and right now! If we don't live like this in this life, we'll not have the opportunity to do so in the eternal life to come. Fifth, it is a Fulfilling Grace. (Titus 2:13) Sanctifying Grace enables us to look forward with joy to the second coming (the return to earth) of Jesus. We are equipped to be prepared to welcome Jesus at His return! This grace makes the hope of Jesus' second appearing a present reality in our lives.

Let's consider now the MESSAGE of SANCTIFYING GRACE based on Titus 2:14. First, the message is that "Christ gave Himself UP for us." He died on the cross in our place, paying the debt He did not owe to free us from our debt that we could never pay! Without His death for us, there would not be any sanctifying grace! Second, He redeemed (purchased) us from ALL our sin. Third, He purified us unto Himself to be peculiar for Himself. And Fourth, He set our hearts upon living a life of goodness, being "zealous of doing good works."

What tremendous truth this is regarding Sanctification! When I think of God's matchless and glorious grace, I continue "to be blown away"! Why? Because His Sanctifying Grace is amazingly Biblical, True and Good Theology!